A small touch, a small, simple thing, yet with the unspoken gesture of so many decades—at first glance, these are the thoughts I had about the series of Bulgarian photographer Valery Poshtarov. The series Father and son makes us realize that the ossified ideas of old social conventions can be broken with a simple touch.
Now that the Mother’s Day celebrations are over, it may be time for father to also get a little attention. Although Valery Poshtarov did not start his justifiably popular series with this in mind, he draws attention to a phenomenon that is quietly present in the lives of the vast majority. The experience of the parent-child relationship, full of ups and downs, drifting apart and then meeting again, is difficult to put into words, but the Bulgarian artist’s images make it clear: the physical connection is more than simple, it is only complicated by us.
The Father and son project started, so to speak, by chance. As a photographer, Valery Poshtarov wanted to create a portrait of his father and his 95-year-old grandfather holding hands, inspired by everyday relationships. At the time, he had no idea what an adventure he was embarking on, drawing attention to a basic yet unspoken gesture that transcends generations. In 2021, Valery’s openness and photographic approach put him in a strange situation: he came across a house that really caught his eye—a woman and a man in a wheelchair came out of the gate. The woman, clutching a portrait of a man, asked Valery to take a photo of her husband and the portrait. It was their only son in the picture, she added. It was the first time he had ever captured other fathers and sons outside his own family.
From then on, the concept was a given: two people, a father and his son, standing side by side, holding hands, sometimes in front of a tractor, sometimes in the gym, sometimes dressed in a costume. At times he meets the subjects at random or through social media. The latter can also allow subjects to reflect on their relationship and break down walls that have been built up over the years. It also allows for a visual experience of a wide range of different approaches and feelings: at times, the tension of a spontaneous situation prevails, but sometimes raw emotions emerge. The intimacy of a pair of hands is not just a pose, it is a truer gesture. For some it is the most natural thing in the world, for others, it is a sweaty challenge beyond their comfort zone.
Closely related to the concept of masculinity is the suppression of emotions and physical distancing. Today these boundaries are fading, but generational, cultural, and experiential differences are still very much present in father-son relationships. The images evoke centuries of repressed emotions with a single touch, revealing that we can transcend (unnecessarily) entrenched social expectations with a single gesture.
Valery Poshtarov’s Father and Son project is not over yet, he is constantly looking for adventurous characters in both rural and urban areas. The creator is currently looking to expand the series globally and is inviting applications from within the region and beyond via the contact details below.
Valery Poshtarov | Web | Facebook | Instagram
Source: Lens Culture
The 500-year-old Vilnius Old Town is being transformed with a contemporary approach
Ceramic collection in the language of painting
